Dispensing device



Sept. 16, 1941 P. J. ULIBARR DISPENSING DEVICE Filed Aug. 5, 1940 1 11v VENTOR Paw/cf 57/24// A TTORNE Y Patented Sept. 16, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DISPENSING DEVICE Paul J. Ulibarr, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application August 5, 1940, Serial No. 351,500 3 Claims. 101412-84) This invention relates to a dispensing device, and more particularly to a device for singly dispensing small elongated articles, for example, tooth picks, matches, pencils or cigarettes.

More specifically speaking the invention pertains to a simplified construction of a support provided with a hopper, in combination with an elongated member which is turnable about its axis and which is provided with an elongated longitudinally extending seat spaced radially from its axis, to receive from said hopper and singlydispense articles fed therefrom.

The invention further pertains to the combination with said turnable member of an improved and simplified supporting means therefor, said supporting means being provided with a downward extension which forms a superior track means to convey the dispensed articles to a point where they are readily manually accessible.

Other objects, advantages and features of in vention will hereinafter appear.

Referring to the accompanying drawing which illustrates what is at present deemed to be a preferred embodiment of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the device, parts being shown in section. The line l-l on Fig. 2 indicates the plane of the sectioned portion of the view.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section, the plane of section being indicated by the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan View of the structure shown on Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a portion of the structure illustrating one of the operating cranks together with the stop means and guard for said crank.

Fig. 5 is a view illustrating in side elevation, by Way of example, the kind of articles ordinarily dispensed by the device.

Fig. 6 is a detail view of a portion of the device.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the device is provided with side walls l0 and II each of which is provided with an outwardly directed annular flange I2 which forms a bearing for shafts l3, the outer end portions of which are bent to form the cranks [5. The inner end of each shaft I3 is furnished with a bifurcation I31: to anchor it within the member l3 and to maintain it non-rotatable in relation thereto. The cylindrical member I4 may be made of Wood, which will cause the bifurcations 13m to widen as the shafts are driven in.

Upon said member I4 is mounted a split sleeve 20 which is of a somewhat resilient character and which grips the member l4 with a friction ti fit. When the sleeve is in place upon the member 14 a space is formed by the split therein and this space is utilized as a pocket or recess to receive singly the articles dispensed from the hopper portion of the device.

In order to provide a suitable hopper to deliver the dispensed articles to said pocket 2|, with the side walls Ill and II are combined the front wall 25 and the rear wall 26; and the front wall 25 is provided with an inclined downward extension 21 which forms the front part of the bottom of the hopper. The rear part of the hopper bottom is formed by an inclined plate 28, said plate 28 having a downwardly continued segmental portion 29 which underlies about one-third of the circumference of the sleeve 20, the sleeve nesting closely Within this segmental part below the part 29 the plate being continued as an inclined apron 30 supporting a delivery track 301? for the articles being dispensed. The lower end of the track is continued horizontally to form a. front portion 32 whereby the dispensed articles are supported for manual removal. An abutment 33 at the front end of said foot portion prevents the dispensed articles from falling off the base member 34 by which the various parts of the device which have been described are supported. Said base member is shown as a plate, either of wood or metal, of a considerable thickness having a recess 35 provided in its upper front portion, said recess affording a convenient finger-hold space to enable the operator to more conveniently withdraw the dispensed articles. The abutment 33 which has been mentioned is of a two-part character, there being a considerable space between the two parts thereof providing ample room for the fingers to be inserted for grasping and removing the pencils, matches or other elongated articles being dispensed.

In order to automatically retract the shaft 13 and parts which turn therewith to the original position after a dispensing operation, a spring 31 anchored to the base 34 at its lower end has its upper end secured to the arm I 5a of the crank l5. A combined guard and stop plat 40 is provided to partially house each crank arm I51: and to provide stop means for limiting its swinging movement. Said plate 40 has angularly directed end portions 4| whereby it is secured to the adjacent side wall of the structure by soldering or other suitable means.

The device is shown furnished with a cover 45 which is flanged to fit over the top thereof, said cover having a handle 46.

In the particular embodiment of the invention 2 I V illustrated in the drawing, the turnable dispensing element is shown shaped in such a manner so as to dispense matches, or other elongated articles each of which has an enlargement of some kind at one end. In order to provide room for such an enlargement, the right hand end portion of the cylindrical member I4 is shown diametrically reduc'ed or angularly grooved at Ma so as to provide room for the match head 5!] shown in Fig. 1 to overhang from the groove or space 21 (Fig. 2) provided for its body portion. Also a properly positioned notch 52 will. be cut in a lower end portion of the inclined hopper wall part 21 to make room for the passage of the head of the match so that its delivery will be unobstructed. Sofar as any elongated article having an en larged end portion is concerned, what has been said about matches will apply with equal force to such enlargements as erasers attached to lead pencils, and to other elongated articles shaped or provided withparts which form end enlargements. g Along the'inclined back wall 28 of the hopper bottom a channel 280 is shown along the outer side of one of the track rails to afford a clearance forthe overhanging headed portions of whatever elongated objects are being discharged from the hopper.

Iii operation of the device, after the articles to be dispensed have been deposited in the hopper (the headsof the matches or eraser ends of the pencils being placed toward the right side of the 7 maintains itself friction tight upon the roller M in the attached position, no special fastening means is needed to keep it in place. Also a set of sleeves difiering somewhat in size and shape may be" provided and when it is desired to change the size of the dispensing pocket 2| the sleeve which has been in use may be sprung sufficiently to remove it from the cylinder l4 and after removal be replaced by another sleeve of the desired shape and size. By this means suitable dispensing pockets can be provided for handling either an article like a pencil or match 60, cigar or tooth pick 6| or cigarette or drinking straw 62 illustrated in Fig. 5.

Referring to additional structural details, the rear wall 28 of the hopper has at each side a' track rail Hi to facilitate the downward gliding of the elongated articles as they move toward the turnable dispensing element 20.

I claim:

1. In a dispensing device, anielcngated member tiallyrotate said member about its axis -to dispense articles singly from said hopper.

2. The subject matter of claim 1 and, said cylindrical member having'a recessed end portion .alining with the split portion of the applied sleeve to make room for end enlargements of elongated articles being dispensed. 2 7

3. The subject matter of claim 1 and, said cylindrical member being annularly recessed around at least one of its end portions to make- 40 room for end enlargements of elongated articles 

